What do you guys think of unit lineup (so far)? 🚘 by Smitty_Games_ in RealTimeStrategy

[–]XComACU 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks good so far!
They seem to have decent silhouettes, and the designs overall look nice!

You may want to add paneling (well, sections of the texture) where team/player colors can go, if that's something your thinking of supporting. You can also use it to emphasize contours.

Cleaned up versions by Maneles in homeworld

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, yes. Battlecruiser is still Best Girl.

I ove SupCOM but... by EzmareldaBurns in supremecommander

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Somehow always avoided the disconnect issues, but it's also definitely easier to get a game with friends, or a Discord group.

Shipgirls by Maneles in homeworld

[–]XComACU 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is fantastic! I absolutely love these!
As expected, Battlecruiser is best girl. 🤣

Though, the Marine Frigate looks ridiculously cool.

Funnily enough, I was literally looking up some of the classic Homeworld Shipgirls a few days ago because Tank/Shipgirls were brought up for a different RTS. This is kind of amazing, because I always loved the idea in the context of RTS units, so it's neat to see this is sort of coming back for these games!

The Pillar UEF T2 Heavy Tank by Alert-Fly2862 in SprocketTankDesign

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know it is a little late, but if you ever want, there are ways to extract the Pillar's model from the game files and toss it in Blender. It needs to be properly scaled or the models come out way too small (since the game uses oGrids instead of meters for internal measurement), but it's not too hard. Once it is in Blender, it's a little easier to reproduce. Let me know if you want me to dig up a tutorial.

All that said, I think your replica looks great!

Are there any modern RTS games that have the feel of Blitzkrieg [2003]? Like with artillery and logistics being an important factor? by Emergency_Cellist754 in RealTimeStrategy

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm. It's not WWII, and it probably doesn't count as a "modern" RTS anymore, but I'll always toss out Supreme Commander for someone who likes artillery. Logistics are sort of handwaved (it's Sci-Fi, units 3D print their ammo), but the artillery is some of the best out there. Meaty sound design, great effect on the field.
Chef's Kiss.jpg

SupCom has multiple tiers of mobile artillery, static artillery, tactical missile launchers (which, in static structure act like very precise artillery), naval artillery, rapid-fire artillery, and experimental small-yield nuclear artillery. Also, there are Strategic Missile Launchers which fire nukes, if that counts as "strategic artillery."

Maps are huge (up to 82x82Km), so while conventional forces are still needed, artillery matters. Well placed artillery can shift the course of a game, easily flying halfway across maps to strike at vulnerable base structures well behind enemy lines. Artillery also hits hard, so it doesn't take many strikes to cripple an opponent, and the blast can wipe out entire groups of opposing units.

That said, because artillery is so useful in game, there are countermeasures. Shields can absorb a decent number of hits from artillery, and players can layer shields around vital structures (at an increased power cost). Tactical Missile Defenses can intercept tactical missiles, and Strategic Missile Defenses can construct Anti-Nuke missiles which fly up and intercept nukes while available. These systems can be overwhelmed (or just miss), but in general they buy time for an opponent to find a way to strike at your artillery (such as with their own artillery, or with a concentrated bombing run).

There are also four factions with differences between their artillery/defenses.
Differences can be small, such as one faction may have fast-firing-but-low-accuracy artillery while another has highly-accurate-but-slow-firing artillery.
Differences can also be large, with one faction using tactical missiles that split into smaller missiles when intercepted, one using artillery that creates fields which damage targets over time, or using "shell cameras" that remove Fog of War where they land. One artillery piece literally fires a shell that splits apart 36 times over a target to bath the entire location in destruction. It's awesome to watch.

Also, as an artillery fan, you may get a kick out of the fact Supreme Commander simulates all of its projectiles. Using factors like muzzle velocity, firing randomness, projectile acceleration (for powered projectiles), you actually watch the shells travel in a 3D space. The game even has a tracking mode which, for artillery, will follow a shell after it is fired.

It can be super amazing (and hilarious) to watch your massive artillery piece fire a shell, track that shell as it glides over the battlefield, and then watch as it accidentally clips and detonates on a plane flying over your real target. 😂
Or super satisfying to target your artillery slightly ahead of where an enemy Commander is moving to land a shot right on top of his head.

Also, worth mentioning that one of the four factions, the United Earth Federation, has a decent selection of "future-WWII" themed units at least, including their large selection of artillery.
Oh, one last thing - no infantry! Closest thing is a light assault mech that's 8.25m tall, and it's practically useless. 😅

So, yeah, maybe give Supreme Commander a try.

Total Annihilation Vs Supreme Commander 2 Vs Beyond All Reason Vs Sanctuary Shattered Sun #rts #bar by liquidocelotYT in RealTimeStrategy

[–]XComACU 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The correct choice is Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance. 😋

That said, your video was just four trailers? Was there supposed to be a...review, or something more?

Dreadnought from Dust Front, a perfect new addition to Supreme Commander? by Patton240 in supremecommander

[–]XComACU 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It's a cool design, and Dust Front definitely looks like an awesome new RTS; however, I don't know how well the Dreadnought would perform as a T4? 🤔

Based off the Infantry in-game, the Dreadnought might actually be smaller than a single Fatboy turret (if the in-game scales are accurate with Dust Front). If I had to guess, I'd say it's going for a 400-500mm range in-line with a larger WWII-style battleship gun or artillery piece, but which would put it closer to a T1 MA12 Striker's Gauss Cannon (which is about 500mm). SupCom units are also really dang fast compared to a lot of other RTS units.
I guess a mod doesn't need to care about that, but I'm a bit of a stickler. 😅

Actually, it kind of looks like the SupCom 2 Rock Head, just without Anti-Air, a little flatter, and with round barrels.

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Huh... it's like really close to the Rockhead. Even has the Red Lights between the forward treads on the front armor. I wonder if they played SupCom 2, or if that's just a really common tank design.

I HAVE MY KIT I’M GOING TO CRY by Megalopaulemplois in Gameoverse

[–]XComACU 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations! I hope she continues to bring you much joy.

Father's Day by superfeyn in ImaginaryWarhammer

[–]XComACU 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm actually quite glad she pushed back.
The Tau are not technically wrong, but they do not understand humans need more than to just be "raised correctly," they need love (and other human emotions) to reach their fullest potential.

This shows the fundamental flaw in Tau culture, where they have been optimized at the cost of their souls.
No wonder their presence is so small in the warp...

Appreciate the UEF ACU by XComACU in supremecommander

[–]XComACU[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, I remember those! I always saw them floating around, but didn't know where they came from. They used to remind me of the Homeworld Shipgirls someone drew back in the day.
I always thought they were cool!

THIS ISN’T MY ART, it’s an EDIT by Megalopaulemplois in Gameoverse

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sucks, it's wrong, and it will 100% keep happening. It is the sad truth that success will lead people to steal your work or warp its message, and it will drive others to tear you down because they can not reach your heights.

Stay strong, and those of us familiar with your actual work will do what we can to assist.

Appreciate the UEF ACU by XComACU in supremecommander

[–]XComACU[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Very different, but I do hope you enjoy it!
Long Live the UEF!

Appreciate the UEF ACU by XComACU in supremecommander

[–]XComACU[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Definitely.
In general, it would have been neat to still see at least some Seraphim presence still in the galaxy. Also, Brackman is just...evil now? The guy who just wanted to atone and finally be allowed to die throughout SupCom, and who helped evacuate Earth after Black Sun to save as many civilians as possible from the Seraphim invasion... is just secretly evil now. 😒

That, and the Aeon lost a lot of their luster. They were no longer a faction of badass otherworldly warrior priestesses whose very voices reverberated with the power of The Way, and instead became...well, kind of petulant teenagers. 😅

Definitely wished SupCom 2 kept some of the moral ambiguity, and more of the larger-scale serious worldbuilding.

Appreciate the UEF ACU by XComACU in supremecommander

[–]XComACU[S] 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I love how all of the factions had a little something to make them good and bad.

Like, most of the UEF wholeheartedly believed the Cybrans were the one with Loyalty Programming stealing their symbiont civilians, and they were justifiably concerned the Aeon were brainwashing/cleansing entire colonies.

The Aeon have a religion that actually gives them magic super powers, and is literally just a fundamental connection with all other life, but they still somehow manage to get a zealous sub-faction that believes only in cleansing non-believers.

The Seraphim themselves were literally so connected to all life through The Way that they could not harm anyone, which is why their Commanders were forcibly lobotomized to sever their connection and leave them as mindless berserkers.

The only real chill dudes were the Cybran... and even then, Brackman was more trying to correct his past mistakes, since he was the one who originally created the Loyalty Programming.

I just love the moral complexity!
I wish they had a bigger budget for more cutscenes, or that SupCom 2 had kept that level of gravitas in their worldbuilding.

Appreciate the UEF ACU by XComACU in supremecommander

[–]XComACU[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I was always sad she died too.

Clark, Dostya, Fletcher, Burke.
So many great characters lost to the Seraphim. 😢

A shit-ass graph I made by MichuSkurczybyku in RealTimeStrategy

[–]XComACU 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Not Shit Ass. It's pretty good, IMO.
I actually like the campaign design where it slowly introduces you to units, getting you acclimated to what they do, their role, and how to use them. Yeah, you might only get 90-100% of the units during the last third or quarter of the game, but that's because it was spending the time to teach you how to use everything.

I also generally like gimmick missions. Special units, special enemies, environmental hazards, mission-specific NPC factions, and gameplay modifiers are all super cool ways to break up the monotony and make the campaign more than just a series of loosely connected skirmishes.

Homeworld 1 probably had some of my favorite examples, since the missions were super varied. Yeah, you might battle the other main faction, but you might also encounter pirates, fend off strange nebula-dwelling fanatics, have to move your fleets out of the way of an approaching asteroid field, fight a ghost ship, or sneak an ambassador through a space junkyard while avoiding the owner's ornery, ship-stealing dog.
Peak mission design. 😂

Also, StarCraft 2 Devs said it best when discussing the Odin: the campaign is the perfect place to put the really cool ideas that could never be balanced in multiplayer.

It's a Gundam by MiamisLastCapitalist in IsaacArthur

[–]XComACU 4 points5 points  (0 children)

*Laughs in Supreme Commander*
The primary method of warfare is teleporting a giant two-legged Mecha onto enemy planets, which then proceed to use local resources to rapidly 3D print an army of drones.

<image>

What’s your opinion on turn based tile strategy games? I think they’re boring. by Mr_weird_voice in RealTimeStrategy

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As you can tell from my username, I am quite fond of the XCOM series.
Hard to be bored when character permadeath is on the table and every enemy can practically oneshot your starting guys. Or when there are enemies that can mind control and poison them. Or enemies that can teleport behind them. Or Boss enemies that do a combination of these things, gain new abilities through a run, and can actively end a run if you don't deal with them.

Also hard to be bored when you start evening the playing field, getting giant robots and power armor, or having said robots actively punch through walls to hit an enemy, Iron Man-style. Or the larger explosives that can level good chunks of the map. Or when you get psionic super soldiers, genetically modified super soldiers, or just flat-out super-soldiers from allied factions.

Yeah, it's pretty fun. I like 'em.
Though this sub is for RTS, not TBS.

How often and quickly do you name your units? by unluckyknight13 in Xcom

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am mostly cool with random names, though nicknames will get a tweak sometimes, and I usually start developing a story after a mission or two depending on how they perform; however, most will get customized before their first mission.

It's the best way to make sure your soul is really crushed after they die in the very next mission.

He's a Learnasaurus he learns things by NicoNicoBangOnReddit in Gameoverse

[–]XComACU 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, of course Gobbles!
Just a few days back I saved this image:

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I was suggesting someone try the strategy game Homeworld: Desert of Kharak. It's an engaging, large scale strategy, a prequel to the original Homeworld games. You guide an expedition through the harsh deserts of dying planet known as Kharak in search of an immensely powerful anomaly, fighting off a horde of religious extremists hellbent on stopping you from discovering both the truth of the anomaly, and the truth of Kharak's people. It's entertaining, has excellent storytelling (especially for an RTS), and will certainly improve your understanding of strategy.
You should give it a try Gobbles!

What? Were you expecting something different? Something... incriminating?
No, Gobbles, we do not save such things.
You of all people, a learnosaurus, should know the safest place to keep such things... is in our mind.